Field notes
The hidden corners, one at a time.
Real places and the details locals actually use: when to go, what everyone gets wrong, and the small things that make the trip. New notes most weeks.
Redwoods & the Far North · July 16, 2026
The 25 miles of California coastline that Highway 1 gave up on
Black Sands Beach and the 25 miles of coastline Highway 1 gave up on, where the tide chart runs your day and footprints stay rare.
Redwoods & the Far North · July 16, 2026
The 50-foot green hallway that Spielberg used and most visitors never find
A 50-foot green slot canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods that Spielberg filmed and most visitors never find, because the road in filters them out.
Big Sur & Carmel · July 16, 2026
The Big Sur beach with purple sand and no sign telling you it's there
Big Sur's unmarked purple-sand beach at mile 45.7, where morning light through Keyhole Rock beats both the crowds and the afternoon wind.
Eastern Sierra · July 16, 2026
The ghost town where the dishes are still on the tables
The most intact gold-mining ghost town in California, kept in arrested decay at the end of a 13-mile dirt road, dishes still on the tables.
Santa Barbara Wine Country · July 16, 2026
The lavender field outside Los Olivos that locals just call "purple haze"
A working lavender farm minutes off the Los Olivos wine map, timed by bloom and golden hour, that tasting-room crawls skip entirely.
San Diego · July 16, 2026
The San Diego cove where the sea lions outnumber the tourists at sunrise
La Jolla Cove at sunrise belongs to the sea lions. The hour you arrive decides which version of this famous little cove you actually get.
Statewide · July 16, 2026
This week in California: mid-July
Mid-July windows across California: warm ocean water, open Sierra passes, lavender in bloom, and a two-day Central Coast loop worth stealing.
The Desert · July 16, 2026
Why the locals only go to Joshua Tree before 9 a.m. in July
How locals do Joshua Tree in July: first light, out by nine, a gallon of water per person, and Keys View before the heat haze builds.